Tooth number 2…

Tonight Caitlin lost tooth number 2.  Her big tooth has been growing behind it, so I was very glad when the baby tooth came out!!

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Rhyl – final day

We had to check out by 10am so we packed the cars and went out for breakfast….  We then could just about squeeze in a trip to the beach.

It was much less windy than our first trip and they all collected some shells…

Then it was back to the cars for a goodbye and the drive home ready for swimming lessons where Noah was desperate to show Graham how he had learnt to do a forward roll in the water!!!

Rhyl – day 4

Today was our last full day on holiday and there was a scavenger hunt so we joined in.  We got given a list of things to beg, borrow or steal so we worked as one team and set off looking for them.  One thing on the list was a straw and we were right next to the cafe so we sent the kids in to ask for a straw.  They’d been gone a while so I went to check on them and the woman behind the counter wasn’t giving them a straw so I asked if they could have one.  The woman asked me what I needed it for….so I explained about the scavenger hunt….she still wasn’t going to give us one when Cathy (Noah’s best friend!) came in and EVENTUALLY the woman gave us a straw!!!!!  Unbelievable!  Anyway we got everything apart from a golf ball off the list but another team got the golf ball so we didn’t win.

After the scavenger hunt was the sports day so we stayed for that too….  Noah managed to win everything in his age category…..

Austin kept running in front of everyone so I put him in the pram which he didn’t like…Cathy took pity on him and opened a special category just for him….

Noah being the protective big brother blocked Cathy (who was racing against Austin) when he thought she wasn’t going to let him win!!!  After all of the running around we went to pizza hut for our lunch and then came back for some more swimming!  Maybe not such a great idea after a massive buffet lunch so we didn’t stay in for long.  It was then back to the van to get ready for our final disco….best party outfits at the ready!!!!

At the disco there were certificates for the sports day winners…..

Then there was more dancing before Noah said goodbye to Cathy who he had charmed to death throughout the week!!!!

Rhyl – day 3

When we got up this morning the weather was looking a bit overcast so we decided today would be a good day to test out the swimming pool.  I was a bit apprehensive at first since I had all 3 of them almost on my own (the other 2 adults both had 2 kids of their own!) so I put arm bands on them all!  The pool was split into 2 halves with the shallow end roped off from the deeper end.  We hadn’t been in long when Noah wanted to take his armbands off so he could dive so I let him.  Caitlin wanted to keep hers on which meant she was really safe and Austin wouldn’t let go of me! 

 After a while Caitlin wanted to go in the deep end and the lifeguard asked her if she could swim a width, she said yes so he waved her in.  Caitlin being a stickler for the rules wanted to prove she could swim a width and refused to get in the deep end until she had shown the lifeguard!  Eventually he agreed to let her prove it and she swam a width…even then she still wouldn’t go swimming in the deep end until he had shown that he watched her swim and given her permission!!!  I told him she needed permission and so he shouted over that she was a good swimmer and she could go in the deep end.  Austin got a bit braver and did some jumping in!

After swimming we had lunch in the holiday park….quite dubious quality but very cheap!!  Then they played in the soft play area and outside on the play ground.  We then went back to the vans and played charades….

…before getting changed into party clothes ready for the disco!

At the disco there was a colouring competition and the kids had to draw a picture of their favourite part of the holiday and then colour it in.  Noah decided he was going to draw Cathy the woman who was running the disco and then he wrote to Cathy love Noah and covered it in kisses!!!!!!!!!!!  Needless to say Noah was one of the winners of the colouring competition!!!

After the colouring it was dancing time and the kids had a great time dancing with each other….

….we were really lucky again and almost had the dance floor to ourselves a lot of the time….

…there was just enough people to make it fun but no problems getting a good table etc…

Tonight the tiredness must have been catching up because Caitlin fell asleep on 2 stools, Noah in the pram and Austin on my knee!  We managed to get them to walk back and into bed but it was still after 10pm!!!

Rhyl – day 2

Despite the late night they were all up by about 7.30am and we went over to T’s van for breakfast.  The weather was looking ok…a bit windy but dry and a bit of sun sneaking through, so we decided we’d best do something outside and save the swimming and indoor activities incase it rained.  We decided to walk into the town and check out the beach.  It was quite a long walk to the beach but just about ok.  As we got closer to the front it got more and more windy….

…but we were all wrapped up warm and the kids were desperate to go on the beach so we braved it for a short while…

It wasn’t long before we were freezing so we went back for some dinner!  After dinner it was still sunny so we went for a scoot around the lake outside the caravan park.

They all scooted super fast so we were around in no time and went back to test out the playground (kids) and a drink (adults!)

Then it was time to get changed into the party outfits and hit the disco!!!  Noah got talking to the lady running the disco and she asked him his name and age…which he told her…then he asked her how old she was……

There was a hoola hooping competition so the kids entered….

Noah managed to sweet talk Cathy into a place in the semi finals along with Caitlin and Katie.  Austin had a try but he didn’t make the semi’s….

Katie made the finals…she was amazing, but was beaten by the older kids…as in 4 or 5 years older than her!!  Again they all lasted until after 10pm when we all went to bed.  This time Noah and Caitlin shared the bunk room and I got the double to myself.

Rhyl…here we come!!!! – Day 1

It’s holiday time!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Last year me and a friend were discussing how the men didn’t have enough holidays and decided that we’d have a holiday together while we left the men at home!  Another friend joined us and we got a cheapy holiday to Rhyl for £80 per family!  So there were 3 mum’s and 7 kids. 

We went in Elvis and I managed to fit….a pram, travel cot & bedding, 2 scooters, a pack of nappies, 5 towels, bag of cars, bag of dolls, 5 spare pairs of shoes, 5 coats, a bag of food, toiletries, 2 lunch boxes, (big daft) camera bag, 3 dressing gowns, 12 pairs of  jeans/trousers/skirts, 2 dresses, 21 tops, 7 jumpers, underwear, 4 swimming costumes, a changing bag, 3 sets of armbands & baby float seat, 3 loo rolls and 3 metres of fabric!!!!!
Oh still room for me & the 3 kids & their teddies!!

I even impressed myself with how well all the things we were taking fitted in…..

On the way there is a really big fabric shop so we (just me and my 3!) stopped off (hence the 3 metres of fabric in our packing!).  We had a look around got some bargains (and added another 5m of fabric to our load) and Noah discussed the stuffed owl on the rafters in detail with the woman behind the counter!!!!  He was fascinated by it….was it alive before it was stuffed…how did it die…etc!!  We then had a play in their playground….

…then it was time to head to our caravan!!  I arrived at the same time as T so we took one van each and went to unload the cars.  Gemma had to work in the morning so she arrived a bit later and we had a chippy tea.  The kids got changed into their party outfits and we went to test out the tacky disco!

The kids had a brilliant time dancing away.  Not surprisingly Noah was the first to drop at about 9pm – he fell asleep in the pram.  The others starting flagging just after 10 so we went back to the vans where we all went to bed.  Caitlin got to share a bedroom (or cupboard given how small they were!) with Abi which she was very pleased about.  I shared with Noah in a double bed and Austin’s travel cot just about fitted in the open wardrobe!!!!!!

Gardening

After playing in the park and ballet…Caitlin had another big fat gypsy pageant outing!!  Very similar to last time and the last one that is definitely like a pageant…the future ones are proper carnivals so should be more fun!  Noah was supposed to be coming with us but at the last-minute decided he wanted to stay and garden!  When we got back him and Richard had done brilliantly!  There is a massive mound of fantastic soil piled up at the back of the garden and a dip at the front…so the good soil needs moving forward…they moved loads!

It’s looking a lot better but there is still a ton left to do….  Lets hope the good weather stays so we can do more!

The sun continues!

When we got up this morning the sun was shining again so we went for a quick park trip before ballet!  We took the bikes obviously!  But being a bit unpractised at the bike lark I forgot helmets which is not good considering how fast Noah now rides!!!  They had a great time twirling around…..

….running about…..

I really need to go on some sort of course so I can use my new camera properly!  The grass is in perfect focus…shame the kids aren’t!  They are still better photo’s than my other camera but one day when I find a course that fits in with the dreaded shifts I’ll learn how to get the right things in focus!

I tried to get a nice photo of Caitlin in the flowers…..

….and Austin the eternal copycat (aside from talking!!) also had a turn!!!!!!

Caitlin then found some other flowers so I got a nice photo of her with those!!

Then there was just time to ride over to the playground before we had to head off to ballet….

Sun, sun, sun!

It is brilliantly sunny here!  The mum’s from reception meet up for coffee after drop off on a Friday and there are quite a few of us with little one’s about to turn 2.  Today as it was really lovely and sunny we went to the park after coffee.  They all had a great time playing around on the swings and checking out the ducks….

We ended up staying for longer then we thought so we also had some lunch and then a run around in the trees…..

There was just time to go home and collect Caitlin and Noah’s swimming things and get to school!  When we got to swimming Graham was assessing them and Caitlin came away with a National Swimming Award level 2 and Noah a level 1.  Caitlin is getting on brilliantly with her swimming, every week she swims stronger and further it’s great.  It was also brilliant that she got a level higher than Noah…..she is always either equal or sometimes behind him, so it’s great to see her get that little bit further.  They were both very pleased with their awards and so as it was still sunny when we got home we had tea outside!!!

…shame our outside is still like a war zone!!!!!  But they were still excited to get to eat out there!

Parents morning for Noah

We had a meeting with Noah’s teacher this morning…we weren’t expecting it to be that great as he is currently friends with a pretty naughty boy and it is affecting his (and a few others) behaviour.  The other teacher in the class has also recommended we tell him not to play with him because he is like a different person when he is with him.

So we went in and she didn’t really mention his behaviour, although the other teacher has mentioned it is much improved since he isn’t playing with E.  It was mainly a review of where Noah is up to with regards to the foundation stage.  As nursery isn’t compulsory the guidelines cover both nursery and reception and all of the targets within it are things that you should have achieved by the end of reception.  His teacher said Noah has pretty much achieved all of the desired outcomes already which is fantastic news.  She then asked us what we would like to set as something to work on for the summer term, and so I said his writing as I thought it wasn’t that great.  She then said that Noah has exceptionally good writing for a boy as they tend to be behind in writing.  So we agreed he’d work on that but also on his reading.  He is currently boycotting Caitlin’s reading homework and can read and spell about 70% of Caitlin’s spelling and read most words in her books.  He can count to 100 occasionally needing help and can do the simple addition and subtraction that Caitlin has on her school website.  So all in all he is doing really well and has a fantastic base for moving up to reception.